along the way
by laurelsalexis
Summary: Rafael isn't much for one being out on the open road.


**A/N:** Written for the Spring Fic a Thon and I'm just now getting around to posting it here because lazy. I chose roadtrip for my prompt. Also, basically a Rafael is Senator AU post the canon of the ep we will not name.

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Rafael isn't much for one being out on the open road. He's from New York and even his time at Harvard hasn't exactly changed just how much of a New Yorker he is. He wants to be stuck with people, the ubers, the subway, trying his best to get by but not actually getting by. He wants to have to tell people to walk faster and stare down at his phone as he hopes traffic moves down the block just a little faster, otherwise he is going to be late.

That's what he loves.

But things are no longer what they used to be and frankly, he doesn't want to go back to how everything was. He wants to be happy and he is happy. With Liv. Liv who is actually driving and letting him sit there because he had no interest in driving even if he could.

That New York part of him definitely remains.

They haven't been on the road that long. Just enough to make it out from the heavy traffic of Manhattan. Not that they move any faster, but it's enough to know that they are out of the part they call home. For now.

Noah is in the back playing on the iPad and being quiet for the moment. He won't remain that way. Not when he gets restless all too easily and will definitely want a snack and to play. He just hopes they can make it a few hours with a complete disaster on their hands.

It's not often they all make the trip together. Rather it's usually him going down to D.C, for work and he returns by the end of the week. But Liv's taken some time off and it's Noah's spring break so they thought they would all go down together to enjoy the company.

Which meant driving over him taking the train.

But it's with her and that makes him happy.

Twenty minutes in and he swears he is going to kill the sound of the music playing off of the iPad and Liv is just looking at him like it's the funniest thing she's seen in a long time.

It probably is.

He just lets it go on because really, he loves Noah. Never really thought of himself as a guy who ever have a kid, but there's something in his growing relationship with Liv that made him love Noah so damn much it's hard to explain sometimes.

Liv always tells him that's called being a parent.

He never tells her that there is no way his own father felt this way.

Rather, he accepts his new role.

He glances at Liv out of the corner of his eye as they finally make it to a stretch of highway, a soft smile on his lips.

"You're staring." Liv says without even daring to take her eyes off of the road.

"Mm." He is, but he's not going to admit that. "I'm enjoying the moment."

"I can make you drive."

"You won't."

"I might."

"You won't. You like driving." It's a fact. He can't remember ever driving with her.

"Maybe."

They both know it's true.

When Rafael looks back a few minutes later Noah has nodded off. It makes him smile. Cars always did relax him when he was a small boy. He didn't spend much time in them but every now and then he'd find himself in one with his abuelita, off somewhere, vague memories of cousins he knows nothing of anymore. He would always fall asleep so soon and wake up at just the right time to run his mouth a little too much at all of the sights.

He's glad that Noah's memories are far better than his own.

"No getting into trouble this time."

"I never get into trouble, Rafa."

He sends her a pointed look and he can't help but smirk. That's her official party line but he doesn't think it's anywhere close to the truth. "Oh, I'm sure. That's why I got a call about a certain Olivia Benson who was inserting her nose on a case."

"They weren't handling it right and you know it."

"I do know it." He confirms just for her. "I also know it's not your jurisdiction."

"She needed my help."

"I know." He does, truly. He's not being entirely serious about staying out of trouble and he does not expect for her to do just that if someone needs her help. He actually loves that she cannot manage to take a break.

They are both workaholics until they die.

"I won't name drop you next time."

"You will."

"Senator Rafael Barba just has a nice ring to it."

He gives a shrug of his shoulders. "Better than disgraced Assistant District Attorney Rafael Barba."

"That's in the past."

"It'll never be."

They stop at a light as Liv looks over at him with that furrowed look on her brows. "Don't let it eat at you."

He reaches over, hand on top of hers, a squeeze given briefly. "It's okay."

Liv doesn't look like she believes that but the light turns green and there's no choice but to continue driving.

His hand becomes his own again as he settles in his lap, turns on the radio, softly, as to not wake up Noah who is definitely dreaming of something vivid if the mumblings coming from him are to say anything.

It's cute.

He doesn't listen to the radio all that often and doesn't even recognize the song. He admits it's catchy and only watches as Liv sings ever so softly, as if she doesn't want him to hear.

He does, of course. He listens with a smile and loves the moments where she can just be herself. Between work and Noah there is so much of their time that is dedicated to everything else that things such as sitting in a car, in the middle of a too cold spring, and singing to dumb pop songs that are definitely not considered good music is so few and far between.

She stops the moment she becomes aware that he's actually watching her, shaking her head with a smile.

"Are you listening to the radio when i'm not around?"

"You'd be surprised at what Amanda likes to listen to."

"I'm entirely certain it's exactly what I expect."

By the time they get to their halfway point of Philadelphia Rafael is ready to get out of that blasted car. They do, thankfully, grabbing something to eat before finding a park so Noah can work off some of that energy he has.

"You need to eat before you can play, Noah." Liv says as there is a blanket on the floor and they both sit themselves down, Noah pouting as he does.

"I'm not hungry"

"Lying is a crime."

Of course, this only makes Noah pout harder and he has to take a sip of his water to not actively smile. This kid is going to be a handful when he's a teenager.

Noah does eventually give in and eats as much as he can as fast as he can, before getting the all clear to run off a few feet ahead to play with some of the other kids. They both keep a careful eye on him, knowing all too well what can go wrong, and the fact that Liv hasn't exactly had stellar luck in the past.

He rests himself back on his hands, sneaking glimpses at Liv.

"He's that t-ball game next weekend?"

"Saturday." Liv confirms. "If you're busy."

"I'm not busy."

Liv raises her eyebrow at him. "You're always busy."

"So are you."

"Which is how I know."

"I'll be there."

Liv smiles. "Good."

"My dad was never…" Rafael shrugs. It's not really something he wants to talk about but moments such as these he feels he needs to say something. It's not a picture perfect story but it is something. "I don't want to be that."

"You aren't that." Liv replies with a far more serious tone than she's had since they left the city and she was trying to rush Noah out the door. "You're a good man. I've seen it. I know it."

"Rafa," Noah comes running, a big smile on his face, "come play."

"Go play." Liv encourages.

It takes him a moment to get up and he forgets the energy that kids have, little boys particularly. He ends up chasing Noah around until he captures him in his arms, moving him through the air as Noah just laughs, a squealing delight, can barely continue breathing. It's nothing but pure joy.

They go back and forth like that for a while, until Rafael feels like his lungs are about to give out. He seriously needs to consider going to the gym, but what fun is that? It's not. But Noah wants to race him back to Liv and he tries for the first few paces back, but he gives up a little too easily.

Partially so Noah can win and is hugging on Liv like she's the best person in the world.

She is.

But partially because he's tired.

The goal is to actually make into D.C. before dark and spend more time in the city of Philadelphia on the way back the following weekend when it was a touch warmer. If that ever managed to happen.

Unfortunately for him, the songs that went on in the car were ones he became all too familiar with in spending far more time with Noah and Liv. He remembers telling Liv he thought those songs were purposefully annoying to get in their minds so they never quite leave.

A theory that is proven true as Noah belts out the lyrics and Rafael can predict each and everyone coming along.

It's fun, though

Annoying but fun.

And Noah is happy so that's all that matters.

It only lasts for fifteen minutes before Noah begins to whine that he is bored.

"Me too, mijo." Rafael replies and realizes that maybe taking the highway down with a kid Noah's age wasn't the best idea. There aren't even any fun yet ridiculous car games they play. He rolls up his sleeve and shifts in his seat just enough, a time in which actually being small helps, letting his arm go back.

"Draw."

"Mama says I'm not allowed."

"Just this one time."

The feel of the marker going onto his skin causes him to wince, simply because the pressure Noah is drawing with is so fierce that he isn't even sure how the marker isn't broken. His arm starts to cramp but he can feel the drawing continuing, markers being changed, and really hoping one of those isn't permanent. Even if so he wears long sleeves and no one will know the difference.

"There is a coloring book, you know." Liv says. "And he's not even supposed to have markers for the wall incident."

"This is fun for both of us." Rafael shrugs and doesn't admit he might be the one that snuck the markers in there, but he's still fairly certain they know that as an absolute truth.

Eventually his arm becomes his own again and really, it's just a mess. A thousand different colors going every which way. Some interesting looking figures he can't quite make out and the scribble of an attempt at his name elsewhere.

"I love it, Noah." He means in a way that doesn't quite make sense to him, but he doesn't end up rolling his sleeve down to cover it. Rather he makes sure it won't smear before setting his arm in his lap, Noah actually taking out one of those coloring books he loves as Liv looks between them both.

"You know he's going to want to keep doing that."

"It washes off."

Liv shakes her head and the softest laugh comes out. "Terrible influence."

There's another round of singing before they actually make into D.C. Mostly because they are stuck in traffic and there's nothing better to do. This time, however, it's Rafael who is doing the signing and Noah has a wide eyed look as he listens so intently.

Liv's already heard his voice so she just smiles as she listens but the boy in the backseat is so interested in how a dumb kid's song ends up becoming something so much more.

The sun is just setting by the time Liv parks downstairs from the apartment he rents in the city. It's cooler than before but Noah has so much energy as he basically flies out of the car, unwilling to put the jacket Rafael is holding on. Always a battle.

He squats down, looking at the little boy that he loves too much for his own good and it frightens the living hell out of him.

"Put this on and we'll let you pick dinner."

His eyes go wide, smile wider, still a hint of suspicion. "Anything?"

"Anything."

Noah looks over to Liv for confirmation, to which she just nods. When he gets the okay from her he puts his jacket on and grabs his little backpack, all too eager to put that little dinner plan into action.

"You know it'll be ice cream, right?" Liv asks, moving so she's standing all too close to Rafael, smiling at him, leaning her head on his shoulder as her arms move around his waist, her chest flush against his back. "And he'll be up all night?"

"Mm, I'm offended you think I don't have excellent negotiation skills."

"You also have him wrapped around your finger."

Rafael rolls his eyes, even though it's the truth. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't." The words are all too affectionate. "Come on, before he wants ice cream and cake."

"Oh, cake!" Noah echos, a bright smile.

Rafael definitely will need to perfect his negotiation skills if any of them are getting sleep tonight.


End file.
